Return to a Dying Friend
by Shineeshoes
Summary: Minerva rests quietly in a hospital bed ready for the next adventure. She gets an arrival that is completely unexpected. Character death/implied. Canon-based.
At St. Mungo's, an old woman laid quietly on her bed. Former Headmistress of Hogwarts, and a beloved teacher to her students, Minerva was drawing her last breaths. She had a feeling this was to come soon after the second Wizarding War ended. When she first assumed the position of Headmistress, she questioned her ability to keep going. She lived through two wizarding wars, and though she didn't show it outright, the Battle of Hogwarts took a heavy toll on her body. Still she persisted, her love of sharing knowledge kept her going.

And so it was for another twenty years. Many of her best and brightest students, like the infamous Boy Who Lived, became forefronts in the quest for peace. She expressed great pride but humble reserve when anyone mentioned him around her. This was especially the case for the Weasleys', Ron's wife Hermione, and of all people Neville Longbottom. She especially enjoyed seeing their children inside the castle walls, enjoying their youth and delighting in the knowledge they learned. It was such a peaceful time. 

She should have known she couldn't be a part of it for very long. 

Minerva thought it was a miracle that she even managed to survive this long. Prior to her twenty-first term as headmistress, she suffered a terrible pain coming from her heart. She paid no mind and continued doing her duty. However, soon after the year began, she had collapsed and was taken to St. Mungo's where she stayed there for the entire year. There, her health began to deteriorate more as the Healers tried to keep her alive. But the moment she entered the hospital, she knew there was nothing left and was only a matter of time before she parted. 

Her well-wishers came and went, most of them Ministry officials and reporters wondering who should become the Headmaster or Headmistress next. It was often with the approval of the Headmaster that most decisions were made, if not by the Ministry directly. Most of the time, she was silent in that regard. It was hard for her to speak at times, more than one case making that she could not answer them at all. She knew they often took this as a sign of disrespect, but she could honestly care less. Being Scottish kind of did that for her. 

Those that mattered most were her former friends and accomplices. Most of them also wished her a speedy recovery. However, the few like the famous Golden Trio, Neville, and Filius saw that Minerva was on her last leg, and wished her all the best when her time came. When these people left, all she could do was silently cry. She would miss them the most. 

She just felt so tired after Hagrid came by to visit. His age was starting to show, but he still had a big heart as ever. He made it a priority to visit her every week, and she loved him for it. Still, he could be hard to handle. The giant hole left behind as he left was living testimony of that. 

It reminded her of her old friend, who also had a knack for being hard to handle, but was always there for her whenever things all went terribly wrong… 

She felt a gentle nibbling at her fingers. She tried to ignore it, wishing she could close her eyes and get some sleep. She was incredibly tired as it was. What little strength she had to stay awake was slipping away fast. 

The nibbling continued. She tried to lift her arm to shoo away what she could only assume was a bird, but her arms weren't budging an inch. She finally had enough. Minerva opened her eyes, seeing what was preventing her sleep. 

The only thing she heard was her heartbeat… 

The bird was incredibly large and incredibly beautiful. A beautiful shade of fiery red and orange, the colors of the feathers was only abated by the silky touch of its fascinating physique. The eyes were filled with joy upon recognizing an old face, and it parted its lips to sing a beautiful song. 

She tried lifting her hand to stroke the bird. But it was too much work for her body to handle. She could only hum silently as the bird continued its song. Tears slowly filled her eyes as the bird leaned down to her hand, and rubbed back and forth as if it was being petted. The affection was more than her old heart could bear. 

The song continued to softly reverberate throughout the room. From the outside, no one could guess that death was nearby. Minerva knew better, but she no longer cared. The creature was here to bring her home; to those she loved, lost, and have never seen for many years. She felt free from the world, finally ready to move on. And who else to greet her on the other side, but her oldest and dearest friend. 

"It's good to see you again…Albus…"

_

 **Okay, here is my first story, definitely very light in terms of context. But I wanted to keep it short and sweet. Hopefully, I did alright here. Reviews and critiques are welcome, keep them clean, though.**


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